Team equipment: who decides?

[Christian Schneider]

How does a team decide to ride SRAM or Shimano or Campagnolo?
Do they come to the component company or does the company come to them?

What about frames? How much of the 'sponsorship' of a frame is given by the frame manufacturer and how much by the major sponsors?

Does Specialized go all out to cover all bets by sponsoring both Astana and SaxoBank? Or did Vino and Cancellera tell their team management, I just have to ride this particular brand, they are so much better?

If this question has been addressed before, please re direct me.

 

[twothirds]

Sometimes you it can be up to the marquee rider on the team. If he says he really likes certain wheels, or a certain groupset, then the team management may try a little harder to get that manufacturer on as a sponsor.

Other times management decides or has the decision made for them. Bigger teams like Saxo or Columbia buy a lot of their own equipment. They may have frame and apparel sponsors, but many of the wheels and components are paid out of the team's budget. Saxo has specialized as a sponsor, Bell and this year Sram for components. Last year it was just Spec and Bell, with the team purchasing their Dura-Ace groups so that they could also ride FSA components and Zipp wheels as Bjarne thought highly of them. Highroad (Col-HTC management) is sponsored by Scott and Uvex, but they purchase their wheels from Zipp and take the stickers off.

Other times the decision is made for the team, like when Quick-Step lost Specialized to Astana and therefore had to go searching for a new bike sponsor. They ended up going with Eddy Merckx.